Temptation

"Young man, do you understand the implications of obtaining an inheritance from a mystic of the old era?" The voice at the other end paused as if waiting for a reply from Hugo who was once again plagued with indecision.

"Let me tell you this… By consuming the Orb of Inheritance from another powerhouse, you will attain all his experiences, deductions, and comprehensions regarding a given technique. That is why the Orbs of Inheritance are considered priceless all over Gaia."

"In your particular case, you will be able to comprehend most of the bow and arrow mystic techniques within a short time. You will instantly become proficient in the basic skills required for the profession. Just imagine that. Why would anyone reject such a deal? Is Gaia filled with fools nowadays?" The voice lamented while throwing a glittering orb through the slit in the space.

"Before you reject, first take a look at the Orb. I will also gift you an ancient bow if you promise to retrieve the crystal." The voice intoned.

Hugo sight became transfixed on the Orb of Inheritance that had just stopped rolling a few meters from his feet. It shimmered with rays of rainbow light that stood out in the surrounding red world of Hugo's summoning space. Its texture appeared to be extremely smooth and the colors on its surface looked impossibly vivid. A splendid rainbow glow circumscribed it, giving off an ethereal radiance.

The Orb of Inheritance was a feast for the eyes.

'Pick it up… Don't pick it up… I say you pick it up… No, don't... It must be a trap set by the entity behind the slit…' Two voices argued in his head.

Hugo was mired in a dilemma of temptation by the captivating orb.

"Won't you reconsider?" The voice once again inquired while throwing over a couple of books through the slit. Strangely, the five books remained floating whilst displaying their covers to Hugo.

"Oh my God!" Hugo gulped; his entire being seeming to be spell-bound by the five books.

'An Introduction to Weaving Mystical Spells: A Contemporary Review' …

'The Mystic Beasts of Gaia' …

'Mystical Engineering for Beginners' …

'Opening Mana-Channels and Activating Chakras' …

'Space-Time Mysticism Dissected'…

These were the titles of the five books hovering before Hugo.

Hugo stared in wonder as if the entity behind the space slit had just actualized the woman of his dreams before him. Sparks were going off in his brain, desperately trying to connect the dots but alas, they triggered a short circuit instead.

He looked like a pop-eyed sculpture as he gawped at the books like a lecher would at a woman. The enchanting orb had completely gone out of his mind since books had always been his first love.

"Won't you reconsider? Those books and the archery inheritance will be yours if you vow to help me retrieve the crystal from the Templar's trial grounds." The hoarse voice once again reverberated within his mind; its tone seemingly pleading.

"VOW!" The mere mention of the word had shaken Hugo out of his state of indecision. For as long as he existed in Gaia, his aunt, Tracy had always warned him about the implications of taking vows, especially in the presence of mysterious entities.

"What if I fail to retrieve the crystal after you've given me ancient knowledge and the Orb of Inheritance? What then?" He inquired, forcing himself to maintain eye contact with the entity lurking on the other side of the space slit.

"You will be taking an Oath that just reminds you to retrieve the crystal five years later. If you fail, we can negotiate." The voice replied.

"I refuse," Hugo replied; his tone steadfast. His decision was already made. He wasn't going to enter a deal with a mysterious entity whose very motives and identity were still in question.

"You refuse!" The voice now reverberated across the whole space as the entity behind the space slit started leaking an aura so potent and ancient.

Hugo felt like a thousand bricks had been placed on his shoulders. His will was on the verge of buckling as the savage aura of the mysterious entity assaulted him and threatened to collapse his entire being.

But Hugo persisted.

"What can you do other than leaking some aura? You clearly can't enter this space. So, it doesn't matter whether you're angry! I'm not scared. What else can you do?" Hugo bellowed as he continued resisting the mounting aura.

"HOWWWWL…"

The entity behind the space slit seemed utterly incensed by Hugo's words. It let loose a ferocious howl that shook the entire summoning space. And with a glitter of a green glow, the entity's size diminished before stepping right through the space crack.

Terror stabbed at Hugo's heart as he looked at the creature that had just languidly waltzed into his summoning space. The fear that was much greater than anything he had ever felt was close to overwhelming him.

[What the hell!] Hugo cursed in dejection as he raised his head to look at the strange apparition.

Levitating at hand's length above the floor of the formless reddish space, the pearly-misty silhouette shimmered a hazy bright green. And gradually, it came into focus as an object would while being observed through a pair of binoculars. Except, this apparition was close, very close...

At first, its breathing sounded like the soft whistling of the wind through trees. As the specter became clearer, more sharply focused, the breathing sound transformed into an eerie grating noise, like metal being scratched in the silent space.

Hugo could now clearly make out the outline of a colossal wolf with fur as dark as the night sky.

"You were saying?" The voice once again reverberated through Hugo's mind sending him further into terror.

The wolf curled up his gums to reveal yellow-stained saw-like teeth, and then let loose a low rumbling howl. Hugo was not resigned to the fate of being food for a colossal wolf. He instantly calmed his mind and prepared to enter mortal combat with the humongous wolf.

"Fenrir… That's enough. You've had your fun. Our guest has already passed the first stage of the test. Let him be." It was at that instant that the seraphic voice of Gaia's avatar resounded within the summoning space.

"The knowledge keeper's test has already started?!" Hugo was perplexed.